Re: California high banking!

mrs. oro, instream suction dredge permit.300 feet from active waterway not considered instream.thus dredge permit not pertinant.was at the redding dfg eir scoping meeting,the only non-redundant thing that mr stofer(rymes with gofer)said was that this would still be considered legal.he referred to this method as booming.i just call it highbanking.as if i am 300 feet from a creek around here,i would be high up on a hill.may just have a place to give this a try though.my claims are mainly canyon claims,so when i go 300 feet away, i am 100 feet above the creek.hard to boom on a 60 degree slope who knows,maybe this ban will force us to think outside the box,and cause us to find overlooked/ignored deposits.got any puppys for sale?

Re: California high banking!

CDFG website has the info-highbanking(dredging)300' from a creek/stream is absolutely 100% totally,unequivically legal-even the scum suckn' dog Stopher was forced to admit it in the illegal public meetings. Dredging,as codified, is the operation of a INSTREAM SUCTION DEVISE--THATS ALL. You pump/pipe/or build a huge catchment for rainwater and awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa you go all nice and legal like-I'm having a ball and the gold is soooooooooooooooooo much better-albeit a mite cold-but at $1,050+ I'll persevere in my nice warm and toasty wetsuit---John

Re: California high banking!

By the time any water can travel that far it's cleaned up pretty well and a few lil'ol'pools settles everything out completely. I'm not within a mile of a creek/river/stream so no matter. Just a bone dry canyon i've detected on private property for 5 years or so. Worked many hours cleaning up the canyon and decided to utilize mother natures bounty to get'r'done's all--and I must admit it's a sweet thang to stick it to the man--never got to say that in 60 years,and CDFG has earned it-DREDGE FREE KALIF-John

Re: California high banking!

hi mrs o, has always been a matter of turbidity.as i interperate the regs,is permissable for a highbanker to discharge directly to creek,if the creek is not muddied up much.of course that is rarely possible,because most bank materials have a lot of clay which leave a long plume.but were i skimming a gravel bar for flood gold would not hesitate,as most of that gravel is pretty clean.settling ponds,in series if necessary work quite well.a certain amount of turbidity is permissible.measured in parts per million,not sure of the exact amount.there are no specific laws about highbanking in cali,other than turbidity.its at the judgment of the operator to keep things clean.we are cleaning up our claims,removing all sorts of iron trash,lead,mercury,etc.when working bank materials,i dont want to move any material into the creek,as i expect/hope to be dredging there soon.old ground sluice flumes,properly dammed with cobbles make fine settling pools.and by moving those cobbles,may find a patch or two with the md.

Re: California high banking!

Thanks Patches63,

So, you wouldn't even need to apply for a dredging permit, correct? (we have highbanked in California, but never even thought about getting a permit), but, never dredged, mostly because of all the regs they had on when, where, how, size, blah, blah blah (as with most California things).

Re: California high banking!

no, no permit required for an actual highbanker.whether streamside or hundreds of feet from water.what john and i were referring to above is a little different.the cali dredge permits issued until the alameda injunction were for instream suction dredging.after arnold signed sb670,dredges were illegal within 300 feet of any active watercourse.booming or using suction devices further than 300 feet from water has never been regulated in ca.viable deposits that distance from water are harder to find.but there are some.not just a deposit,but a deposit workable with that method.(booming)highbankers are usable most anywhere.the discharge water can be run back into the stream,but must not carry solids with it.(turbidity)good luck.

Re: California high banking!

I understand the turbidity and solids issue, completely - I worked as a Water Treatment Plant operator for P&G - my questions were because, in some personal emails, etc., people have told me that the suction dredge laws include my highbanker, so I was wanting a little clarification.

I do not, personally, think that California should be banning it - actually, I even have an issue or two with them even putting out permits, rather than just controlling WHEN someone can dredge. These environmentalists have everyone in their grasp convinced that turbidity and solids are detrimental - and they can be during a certain point (like spawning), but after spawning, and during other times, roughing up the water with elements that are natural (like dirt) is actually beneficial to many, many species of fish - it turns up food, softens spawning beds and allows easier access to oxygen-rich water along with tiny elements (like algae and other things) that new fish have to have.

I am certainly against dyes and chemicals being dumped directly into the water, but, unless you are a huge operator, most dredge operations do not make enough turbidity to cause any problems with anything. Even in the Federal laws for large firms - it is a really high number for it to be an issue.

Pretty soon we will be like parts of Canada (Yukon) - take all the water out you want, but don't put any back in. Stupid.

Re: California high banking!

Ms O-Your highbanker cannot be used as a dredge INSTREAM and thats the difference. Moving water of coarse and CDFG has codified the highbanking rules and are available from CDFG website. Patches--I learned a good lesson yesterday-the bears are NOT asleep--munched my dredge hose and mashed my headerbox sunday night,bummer--no mo' flair crash no where?? Isn't there any dealers left in We?? Called all the keene distbs and 0--keene no mo' either?? Any 2 1/2" boxes around?? 4" ready to go now but water(clean) never lasts for more than a few days bud-COLD here last night--WJohn

Re: California high banking!

far as i know, the keene boyze are making the big boy stuff for export,africa, phillipines etc.am sure they could supply small stuff for us here,but when did they last fabricate a crash box?would be a local job.will keep my internet eyes peeled.hope you whup that bears ass.member i was telling you about bacon grease+ac/dc?lightemup